THE HORSE'S FOOT: SHOEING, ETC. 121 



foot put into a cold water and bran poultice for a day or two, keeping 

 the poultice moist by dashing cold water over it three or four times 

 a day. 



203. Foul in the Foot consists of an irritative inflammation and 

 ulceration between the digits, and is the most common foot affection 

 in the cow, and usually caused by the animal standing in a filthy 

 wet box or yard, or on soft, wet, marshy pastures ; and although I 

 have seen hundreds of cases, I have never yet met with one that 

 could be said to arise from scrofulous or specific influence. There 

 is acute lameness present, and the foot is swollen round the top of 

 the hoof, and there is also a strong foetid smell, with ulcerated sores 

 of the soft tissues between the digits. The worst cases have been 

 caused by rough treatment and the application of strong caustics, 

 and I must here strongly condemn the barbarously cruel treatment 

 of pulling a rough rope between the toes and applying butyr of 

 antimony. This latter dressing burns and destroys the parts, bring- 

 ing on what is termed ' bastard fouls.'' I have on many occasions 

 seen the bones laid bare with such brutal treatment. Simple 

 soothing applications are all that are necessary. The treatment for 

 foul in the foot is very simple. The beast should be removed to a 

 clean, thoroughly dry box, the parts washed with cold water con- 

 taining phenyle or some disinfectant, and dressed with carbolic oil 

 and tow, and the foot poulticed for a day or two with bran and cold 

 water, to which a tablespoonful of carbolic acid has been added. 

 This in ordinary cases is all that is required. But when the ulcera- 

 tion is more extensive, and after the inflammation has been reduced 

 with the poultice, the sores must be dressed with caustic powder (par. 

 1060, No. VI.), and a pledget of tow, smeared with the tar ointment 

 (par. 1072), should be inserted and held in its place by a bandage put 

 round the top of the foot and between the digits, like the figure of 8, 

 this giving great support. 



204. Ulcerations and damage of a very serious character are also 

 caused by Foot and Mouth Disease. In many cases the bones are 

 entirely bare through this disease, so that repairs to the damaged 

 parts are most difficult to accomplish (par. 464). The treat- 

 ment for it is similar to that for foul in the foot (par. 203). 



